Warsaw Behind the Scenes - small group tour with hotel pickup

5.0
(228 reviews)
Warsaw, Poland

3 hours (approximately)
Pickup offered
Offered in: English

This tour offers a deeper, more authentic look at Warsaw than standard sightseeing experiences. Traveling in a retro communist-era Żuk minibus adds historical context and allows access to districts often skipped by large tour groups. With a small-group format, you’ll explore lesser-known neighborhoods, hear personal stories, and gain insight into how Warsaw was destroyed, rebuilt, and transformed over the last century. Rather than focusing only on landmarks, the tour connects places with powerful narratives—from the Jewish Ghetto and wartime uprisings to communist-era urban planning and modern-day Warsaw—giving you a fuller understanding of the city’s complex identity.

What's Included

Professional local guide
Communist retro minibus Żuk

Meeting and pickup

Pickup points
You can choose a pickup location at checkout (multiple pickup locations are available).
Pickup details:

Pick-up and drop off service is available only for hotels listed above. If your hotel is not listed, please contact us to sep ut the most comfortable pick-up point.

After booking the tour, the tour operator will contact you through the Viator message system to confirm the exact pickup time (since we collect our travellers from various hotels).

Itinerary

Duration: 3 hours (approximately)
  • 1
    Warsaw

    Following hotel pickup, meet your guide and begin with a brief introduction to Warsaw and Poland. This short historical overview provides essential context and helps explain how past events shaped the city you see today.

    10 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 2

    The first major stop is Muranów, a district built on the former site of the Jewish Ghetto established by Nazi Germany in 1940. Although it may look like an ordinary postwar housing area, the ground beneath tells a far more dramatic story. With your guide, you’ll uncover the traces of the ghetto and learn how the district was destroyed and later reconstructed.

    20 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 3
    Chlodna Street

    At the intersection of Chłodna and Żelazna Streets, you’ll visit the location of the iconic wooden ghetto bridge, known from the film The Pianist. Once suspended high above the street, the bridge allowed traffic to pass underneath while connecting two sealed parts of the ghetto. Using historical photographs, your guide will help you visualize how this place once looked and functioned.

    15 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 4

    You’ll then learn about the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943, when Jewish resistance fighters launched a final stand against deportation. After several weeks of fighting, the ghetto was completely razed. Your guide will explain how these tragic events are commemorated and how history is layered into the modern cityscape.

    15 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 5

    The story continues with the broader context of World War II and Poland’s political future. Agreements between the Western Allies and Stalin placed Poland under Soviet control. The Warsaw Uprising of 1944 was the city’s last effort to change that outcome. After its collapse, Nazi forces systematically destroyed approximately 85% of Warsaw. The Red Army entered the deserted ruins in January 1945.

    15 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 6
    Praga Polnoc

    Next, cross the Vistula River to reach Praga, one of Warsaw’s most distinctive districts. Enjoy views of the riverbank before exploring an area that survived the war largely intact. Praga preserves the atmosphere of prewar Warsaw, with Belle Époque buildings, traditional courtyards, and a strong local identity. Once overlooked, it is now one of the city’s most creative neighborhoods, still largely untouched by mass tourism.

    30 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 7
    Śródmieście

    Back in central Warsaw, stop near the former Polish Communist Party headquarters. Learn how the communist authorities faced the challenge of rebuilding a destroyed capital after 1945. Architects hoped to create a modern and functional city, but their visions had to fit Soviet-inspired ideological demands. As you explore the area, you’ll see the results of these compromises firsthand.

    30 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 8
    Warsaw

    The tour concludes with the events of 1989, when the Solidarity movement and Pope John Paul II played key roles in ending communist rule in Poland. Entering a new era of democracy and capitalism, Warsaw underwent yet another dramatic transformation. By the end of the tour, you’ll have a deeper understanding of how the city’s past and present connect—and how its complex history continues to shape modern Warsaw.

    15 minutes Admission ticket free

Additional info

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • The minimum number of people required to launch the tour is 2. A solitary traveller may join the tour if there is another booking for at least 2 people.
  • This tour can be booked instantly online for adults and children over 150 cm (4 ft 9 in). If you wish to book the tour for a child under 150 cm, please contact the tour operator in advance to check the availability of seat boosters, which are mandatory under Polish law.
  • Each minibus accommodates up to 8 passengers, and a fleet of 5 minibuses is available.
  • The vehicles are used primarily for transfers between locations, with walking segments at each stop. Please wear comfortable clothing and suitable footwear.
Supplied by Warsaw Behind the Scenes

Show 1 more

Tags

Half-day Tours
Cultural Tours
Historical Tours
Walking Tours
Classic Car Tours
Excellent Quality
Likely To Sell Out
Low Supplier Cancellation Rate
Low Last Minute Supplier Cancellation Rate
Short term availability

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Show more

Rating

5.0 Based on 228 228 reviews
5 stars
220
4 stars
7
3 stars
0
2 stars
1
1 star
0
Likely to sell out
from per person
Was {{formatPrice(summaryFromPriceBeforeDiscount, currency, 2)}}